Here are 10 U.S. cities where solar energy could take off

Solar panels aren’t just for sunny states like Arizona or California. Even homes in the dreary northeast can power up with rooftop panel systems. To prove the point, Redfin partnered with the Department of Energy-supported solar-analysis company Sun Number to identify the northeastern cities with the most untapped solar potential.

To form the list, they identified the northeastern cities with a Sun Number (the projected benefit from going solar—so the higher, the better) above 70, and then ranked them by how few of the listings in that city mention solar panels. Providence, RI, which has a Sun Number of 79 out of 100, topped the list. Rochester, NY, Syracuse, NY, Worcester, MA, and Buffalo, NY round out the top five, followed by Boston, MA, Newark, NJ, Augusta, ME, Albany, NY, and Concord, NH.

A study from the U.S. Department of Energy recently confirmed that home buyers will pay more for houses outfitted with solar panels. “...[S]olar panels are viewed as upgrades, just like a renovated kitchen or a finished basement, and home buyers across the country have been willing to pay a premium of about $15,000 for a home with an average-sized solar array,” reads a summary of the study.

Via: ConstructionDive, Redfin, Berkeley Lab